Welcome

Much of our adult behavior reflects the neural circuits sculpted by experience in infancy and early childhood. At no other time in life does the surrounding environment so potently shape brain function – from basic motor skills, sensation or sleep to higher cognitive processes like language. How this plasticity waxes and wanes with age carries an impact far beyond neuroscience, including education policy, therapeutic approaches to developmental disorders or strategies for recovery from brain injury in adulthood.

Dr. Hensch In the News:BBC World Service: The Forum – Plasticity >>
Aired May 19th. “Bridget Kendall and guests consider plasticity from several viewpoints: Aurora Robson is an artist who works with plastic garbage, Sujata Kundu a nanochemist who analyses plasticity at the level of atoms and electrons, and Takao Hensch a neuroscientist investigating whether it’s possible to recreate youth-like plasticity in an adult brain.”

Header based on research image of Luke Bogart, Dawen Cai, Jeff Lichtman & Takao Hensch.
Mouse cartoon to right courtesy of Nadine Gogolla.

In the News

Congratulations to Dr. Rebecca Reh of the Program in Neuroscience, who defended her dissertation, "A rapid peak in gamma power signals critical period plasticity in the developing mouse visual cortex," on July 16th!